Calder Highway improvements
Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Jobs and Industry, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Minister for Women) (10:22): I rise to share that last week I attended Brimbank City Council’s community event to support Fix the Calder. The Calder Freeway upgrade has been a priority of mine since I was elected to Parliament in 2010. It is only the Victorian Labor government that has prioritised advocacy for the Calder, completing a business case and committing $50 million in funding and investment into key infrastructure programs in the local area, programs such as road maintenance and road resurfacing and the removal of the Calder Park Drive level crossing, which will be gone for good by the end of 2025. This project will also have a direct flow-on effect and is one step closer to a safer and less congested Calder Freeway.
I acknowledge that more work needs to be done and thank all the community members who attended the forum and the councils who are working together to make this a priority: Brimbank council, City of Melton, Buloke shire, City of Greater Bendigo, Hume City, Loddon shire, Macedon Ranges, Mildura Rural City Council and Mount Alexander. I remain committed to making sure that we have accommodation to help support growth and address road safety in the area and will continue to lobby on this very important issue.